The weekend in review

High Street | Friday 24 February

Fashion festival kicked off last Friday with the New Zealand Herald Viva presenting ‘First Light’ celebrating the unveiling of the new Autumn / Winter season. Somewhat ironically the High street district was decked out with branded beach umbrella’s, deck chairs and bean bags which allowed CBD workers to soak up the last of the summer sun.  This seasons unveiling did not seem to have as much retailer participation or discounts as the previous Spring / Summer launch however there were still some discounts & freebies to be had. 

Peter Alexander had 15% off all stock where I picked up some questionable pyjama’s (or a onesie). I also enjoyed a glass of wine at Ruby (served in a fantastic plastic wine glass - with thumb groove), where I purchased 2 nail polishes for the price of one (this deal continues until the end of February).

Ruby nail polish in 'smurf' $19

Govino stemless wine glasses |  thedepartmentstore.co.nz

Friday night draw to an early close with the first of two failed attempts to eat Mexican over the weekend. Although we had heard several sub par reviews about Britomart's newest eatery Mexico we decided to give it a go anyway. When we arrived all the restaurant was full and we were told there was a 40 minute wait. Mexico does not take phone numbers and instead of inviting us to have a drink at the restaurant bar while we waited, the less than accommodating maitre de suggested we go to A&M (which by the way does the best curly fries). On our return to Mexico we were told there was still a wait and now other customers were in front of us in the queue. So we left and went to Covo where the meals were incredibly reasonable and the wait staff are charming and charismatic.

During the week I had won tickets to Saturday's Super Rugby game between the Chiefs and the Highlanders so we tracked down to the Tron for the evening, where I had my second bad service experience in a Mexican restaurant in just as many days. This time it was Amigo's Mexican Restaurant. It seems last weekend I was just not destined to eat Mexican. This time although we could get a seat it seemed unmanageable for the kitchen to bring meals out (even nachos) by 7pm in time for us to make the game, despite trying to order at 6.15pm.

Chiefs @ Waikato Stadium

After a rush to pick up takeaways and tickets we made it to the game, where I backed the Chiefs (mainly because they have the best looking players). Although the Highlanders just managed to take the win a highlight was the Chiefs holding a signing session after the game, where the chance for an up close and personal encounter with Richard Kahui & SBW literally made some young female fans a balling mess.

What I wore this week

This is my third week of keeping a visual diary of what I have worn & it's not going as well as I had hoped. This week I was struck with the same problems; lack of time, locations, help & inspiration to record every out fit every day.

Any how, with the help of google images, I managed to pull together a record of some of the looks I wore this week. A special thanks also goes out to Jenny who snapped my Friday & Saturday outfits.

non original images sourced from: karenwalker.com, stylecaster.com, instinctofstyle.blogspot.com,  mycatwalk.com.au, mipiaci.co.nz

Meatless Mondays

source| meatfreemonday.com

I can’t remember the last time I ate red meat. I’ve never been a fan of a good hunk of eye-fillet or a barbequed sausage however it wasn’t until 2011 I made the conscious effort to cut out (mammal) meat completely and become a pescetarian. The decision was made partly because I just do not like the taste of red meat or pork (or how I feel after eating it) and partly because I felt sorry for the factory farmed chickens and pigs.

After a promising start, I lasted as a pescetarian for all of about 6 weeks. Not being much of a cook it didn't take long before I became tired of the pescetarian friendly lunch options available in CBD eateries so I re-introduced chicken (free range only) and found a great, real, term to call my new eating habbits - flexitarian.

To keep on track with my semi-vegetarian diet I made Meatless Mondays one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2012, admittedly this sometimes becomes meatless Tuesdays or Wednesdays - but hey, I try.

Like flexitarian and pescetarian “Meatless Mondays” is a real thing. In fact it is an international campaign to encourage people to cut out meat once a week to improve their health and the health of the planet. The movement has some serious celebrity backing in the US and it was introduced into the UK by Paul and Linda McCartney.

Going meatless once a week has numerous benefits:

   For your health

• reduction in the risk of cancer
• reduction in the risk of heart disease
• reduction in the risk of diabetes
• reduction in the risk of obesity 
• increased longevity
• improved diet

   
   For our environment

• a reduced carbon footprint (the meat industry generates nearly 1/5 of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions)
• reduction in water usage (livestock needs far more water than plants)
• reduction in fossil fuel usage  (livestock needs far more fossil fuel than plants)

    
   For your wallet

• its cheaper to prepare a meatless meal!

So if you want to act like Kate, Stella, Olivia or Oprah - once a week you could try cuting out meat.

  

images sourced from twitter.com

If you want to read more about Meat Free Monday's check out some of the various movement websites from across the globe - USA, UK, AUS & NZ.

What I wore this week

I was pretty damn lazy at keeping a visual diary of what I wore this week and to be honest I didn't wear anything that noteworthy. I was tired, the weather was uninspiring at the start of the week and I just lacked enthusiasm (not very good for only my second week of writing a blog).

However here is a recap of some of the outfits I wore this week (poor preparation meant I had to supplement most of my photos with images from the net).

non original photos sourced from: countryroad.com.au, mipiaci.co.nz, karenwalker.com, tiffany.com, lindikingi.co.nz, preciousepeg.com, nitrolicious.com

Lust list | #2 absolutely everything from Kate Sylvester ‘The Secretary’

source| katesylvester.com

There are just so many pieces I want to buy from Kate Sylvester’s Autumn Winter 2012 collection The Secretary that it required an especially dedicated lust list.

The collection is inspired by Steven Shainberg’s 2002 film (you guessed it) The Secretary. And while I have not seen the film, I now want to get it out in DVD soon. You can check out the movie trailer, synopsis & review here.

The Secretary is my favourite Kate Sylvester collection yet and I particularly like the accompanying risqué campaign shots which you can view here.  From delicate silk dresses with contrast bondage-esque collars to wool twin sets with collars sharply studded in gold, jewellery, trench coats and shoes – I WANT IT ALL (as documented in my collage below). 

Better start saving.

source| all images from katesylvester.com

What I wore this week

One of the aims of beginning a blog was to keep a visual diary of "what I wore today". How hard could it be? Answer: very, especially for someone who is not found of having their photo taken. However here is a diary of what I wore this week...

Autumn 2012 lust list | #1 weekend wear

Although Aucklander's haven't really experienced a summer yet this year, the end of season sales are winding up and the first of the Autumn/Winter 2012 collections are starting to hit the shelves.

Here is the first part of what I'm sure while be a very long list of items I'm coveting for A/W 2012.

sources: superette (1,2,5,6) | witchery (3) | moochi (4)

Sock it to me

source: hereisours

The humid & wet weather we have been having lately can make styling your hair a frustrating experience. What is the point of working up a sweat in the morning blow drying then curling or straightening your hair when the moment you step outside the humidity, wind or rain hits it and all your hard work is undone.

Wet or humid weather calls for an up-do & buns are the perfect quick fix for a work day.

Up until recently the only bun I could create was a scrunched up mess held together with an elastic. I knew there must be a better way so I did some research on YouTube where I discovered the sock bun. The bun gets its name from the fact you build the bun around a donut shaped instrument which you can create using an old sock (learn how here or here).

Unfortunately I often lack patience for DIY projects and didn't really fancy putting an old gym sock in my hair. However a problem shared is a problem halved, or solved in this instance, and a friend bought me a hair donut off Ebay.

large & small hair donuts (blonde)

The hair donut is a simple tool with which you can create an elegant bun in a few minutes, simply:

1. Tie your hair in a pony
2. Pull your pony through the centre of the donut
3. Fan you hair over the donut
4. For a tight tidy bun put another elastic over the bun or for a less structured look tease & use bobby pins to hold the hair in place
5. Tuck the ends of the hair in & fasten with invisible pins

Best of all the hair donut is insanely cheap to buy off ebay  (US$1.39 with free shipping to NZ - can you afford not to have one!?). It comes in a range of sizes & colours to match your desired bun size & hair colour. I bought the blonde one in both the large & small-01size. (NB: you will need long, thick hair to create a large bun).

The only problem with buying off eBay is that the item is shipped from Hong Kong & took over 2 weeks to arrive. If your impatient like me & just can't wait that long why not check out this Kiwi entrepreneur's site & buy online or catch them at their next market appearance.

New product trial | Garnier B.B. Cream

Being a sucker for falling prey to advertiser's promises of unbelievable results Garnier's new Miracle Skin Perfector aka B.B cream is something I have been wanting to try for a while now. The advertising campaign has obviously drawn in a lot of miracle seekers as I had to visit several supermarkets and department stores before finding the cream in stock in the 'light' shade.

A 50ml tube cost me $17.49 at Auckland's new CBD Countdown. And it's packaging promises instantly perfect skin through;
- 24 hour hydration
- evening your complexion
- reducing sun spots & imperfections
- boosting a healthy glow

It also has an SPF 15 & vitamin C which is a plus.

My Verdict:

While I definitely wouldn't go quite as far as to call Garnier's B.B. cream a 'miracle' product I wasn't unimpressed with it either, especially given its low price point.

Its certainly not a substitute for a full coverage foundation (especially if you have spots or dark circles to camouflage) however if you're looking for light coverage or a tinted moisturiser with SPF protection this could be for you.

All in all it's a light weight, non-greasy moisturiser with a hint of colour. It illuminates the skin a little, minimises redness & gives some sun protection. Great for days when you're in a hurry or don't feel like wearing a full coverage make-up.

Apps for beginners

After getting an iPhone a friend of mine once told me it had improved his life 33 percent. While I'm not sure I can quantify the level, my iPhone has undoubtedly improved (or at least simplified) my life too - 3 years in and I still love it!

This post is especially dedicated to my friend who is yet to add an app to her iPhone which she bought 4 months ago! In 2012 there seems to be an app for just about anything and my iPhone is home to everything from Angry Birds to Ab workouts, Calorie Counter to Country Road, Gucci to Grab a seat.

Not all apps are created equal, many are more novelty than necessity, so here are my top 10 recommendations for beginners (in no particular order) based on practicality and ease of use.

1. ASB Mobile or BNZ Mobile – keep track of your bank balance or forex rates, make transfers or payments etc. 
2. Vodafone App – check your account summary, pay your bill & more 
3. TVNZ – read the latest news, view weather forecasts and browse TV listings 
4. Flicks– find out the movie sessions at a cinema near you 
5. AirNZ mPass – check yourself in at the airport on your phone & keep track of airpoints and bookings 
6. Maxx – plan your next journey via Auckland public transport 
7. TradeMe – browse or list items all from your phone 
8. Instagram – take and share photos, add filters and borders 
9. Facebook – sharing made easier with an interface tailored to the iPhone
10. Twitter – ditto the above

What I wore today

Mi Piaci heel, Karen walker skirt (North Collection), Karen Walker black bow belt, Saint James singlet (from Lippy), Guess watch, Stolen Girlfriends Club gold bow ring

What happened to the Denim mini skirt?

Being a self confessed shopaholic as well as a little bit of a hoarder means I have an overwhelming amount of clothes, shoes and accessories. Too many things to wear and far too many things to store.

Every now and then I try to cull some items and last weekend was one of those times, starting with my chest of drawers, sorting forgotten about items into piles of things I plan to take to Tatty’s to sell or donate to charity. All was going well until I came across a pile of denim miniskirts which raised all kinds of questions – what happened to denim minis? Have they completely been wiped out by denim cut-offs? Does anyone still sell them/ buy them / wear them? Am I too old (at 26) to even still wear one?  So I hit up google.

Oyster had recently published an interview with Apples Ksubi’s womens denim designer who is ‘eager to push for the return of the denim skirt’ as an update on denim cut-offs with their ‘mini-moto’ available as part of the current War collection. And while I can't find any recent snaps of any fashionista's breaking out the mini again, Miranda Kerr still looks pretty cool in this 2008 snapshot wearing Ksubi.

source: deminology.com